Gareth McHale is in pole position to capture his first Donegal International Rally as he heads the field going into today’s final six stages.
Dubliner McHale with Brian Murphy calling the notes in his Ford Focus has set the pace from the first sta
ge on Friday morning and with a 40 plus second lead over second placed Eamonn Boland.
The real battle is behind him with Boland, just ahead of reigning champion Eugene Donnelly who is in third position. Boland and Donnelly are having a tussle royal for the runners up spot all weekend with Tim McNulty back in third place also fighting for the runners up spot.
P. J. McDermott in his Subaru is the best placed of the local drivers in a very respectable sixth position just ahead of Carndonagh brothers Daniel and Michael Doherty in seventh.
Seamus Leonard from Omagh is in eight place and leader of Group N, just ahead of Letterkenny’s Shaun Gallagher and Charlie McGinty in ninth position also in a Group N car.
Leonard took the lead after early pace setter Gary Jennings dropped out after yesterday mornings second stage.
The top ten is completed by Glen Allen from Cookstown.
Damian Tourish from Glenfin is in 11th place with Danny McBride from Convoy, in 12th, Gavin Harris also from Convoy in 13th, Conor Harvey from Letterkenny in 14th and the Bustard brothers from Donegal Town, Trevor and Kenny in 15th place.
Rodney Wilton leads the National Rally with Wesley Patterson in second spot and Glenswilly’s Manus Kelly in third position.
The Rally heads to Downings this morning with two runs over the infamous Atlantic Drive, as well as twice over Gortnabrade Glen and Port Lake.
The first cars are off this morning at 11am with the winners expected back on the ramp in Letterkenny at the Mount Errigal Hotel just before 6pm.
McHale is bidding to emulate his father Austin McHale who won the rally in 1990 in a BMW.
See pages 23-26 for action from Friday and Saturday
